Do you think you’ve got flyers and brochures all figured out? You might think they’re just those papers, but there’s more to it than meets the eye, with phone number strips clasped around and folded accordion-style.
So, what sets a flyer apart from a brochure? The primary difference lies in the fold, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Flyers and brochures serve entirely different purposes. A brochure can achieve things that a flyer simply cannot, and each has unique strengths. Plus, regarding sizing, brochures come in various standard sizes, whereas flyers have just a few standard sizes.
Whether you need a flyer or a brochure (Marketing implementation) depends on your marketing objectives. But here, it doesn’t end. The size and material of the flyer or brochure you should opt for explain your marketing goals and requirements.
Here, our specialist from brochure design services in the UK will guide you on what to do.
Why do you need a flyer?
Well, flyers are all about quick bursts of information. They come in handy when you’ve got something important to share, like:
- Spreading the word about a sale.
- Getting coupons into the hands of your customers.
- Let everyone know you’re open for business.
- Advertising your identity, your services, and your current promotions.
- Kicking off a conversation with your customers by providing a fact sheet about your product.
- Announcing an upcoming event.
Flyers embrace a timeless simplicity, making them ideal for scenarios where straightforwardness shines – such as heralding a neighborhood treasure hunt or extending a heartfelt invitation to your café’s spectacular grand unveiling.
Sizes of Standard flyer
A standard flyer is usually a piece of computer paper that’s 8.5 inches x 11 inches. While in the rest of the world, it’s very similar at A4: 8.3 inches x 11.7 inches. But there are other popular flyer sizes, too, such as:
- DL (dimension lengthwise): 8.3inches x 3.9inches, one-third of A4.
- A5: 8.3inches x 5.8inches.
- A4: 8.3inches x 11.7inches or Letter size: 8.5inches x 11inches
- A6: 5.8inches x 4.1inches.
Choosing the right size depends on your flyer’s content and how you plan to distribute it. When it comes to flyer size, think strategically: Opt for larger dimensions such as letter size or A4 when you’re adorning walls or packing in details. Conversely, if your flyers are destined for mailboxes, choose a size that gracefully slides into a standard envelope, like the charming A6 or sleek DL.
Remember, the cost per flyer with your chosen printer will also affect your size preference. Larger or non-standard sizes often come with a higher price tag.
Best flyer materials
Regarding flyer materials, it’s essential to consider their purpose and anticipated lifespan. Typically, flyers are printed on more affordable, lower-quality paper since they are intended for short-term use. However, it’s worth noting that there are situations where using higher-quality paper is justified, such as when creating flyers for long-term reference, like client service processes in a call centre. In such cases, using durable paper is essential to ensure longevity.
When do I want a brochure?
The main distinction between a flyer and a brochure lies in the amount of information you want to communicate. If your content exceeds what can fit on a flyer, it’s time to consider a brochure. Another key distinction is the presence of folds. While you can fold a flyer, folding becomes a brochure if it is an integral part of its design.
Folding plays a vital role in brochures, and the choice of fold relies on the brochure’s size and design. Various common brochure fold types include gatefold, trifold, parallel fold, half-fold, accordion fold, double gatefold, Z-fold, roll fold, and more.
Are you looking for brochure design services in the UK? Reach out today, and let’s bring your vision to life! Or, if you want custom-printed banners for your brand marketing, meet us.
Standard brochure sizes
Brochures come in diverse sizes to serve miscellaneous purposes. When opened or before folding, some common brochure sizes are:
- Letter size: 8.5inches x 11inches
- Memo size: 5.5inches x 8.5inches
- DIN A4: 8.3inches x 11.7inches
- Tabloid size: 11inches x 17inches
- 9inches x 12inches
- 11inches x 25.5inches
- Legal size: 8.5inches x 14inches
The most often used styles are letter-size half-fold and tri-fold brochures. For instance, in a standard letter-size 8.5 inches x 11 inches tri-fold brochure, each side counts 8.5 inches x 3.69 inches after folding. Likely, the result of folding a standard letter-size paper into a half-fold brochure discloses each side measuring 8.5 inches by 5.5 inches.
When Ought To Go For A Brochure Rather Than A Flyer?
The choice is simple: whenever you have more information to share than what can comfortably fit on a flyer. This situation arises when you:
- Want to follow up with connections you’ve already established.
- Set your sights on enlightening an engaged audience about a captivating product or enticing promotion.
- Demand the creation of easily accessible reference materials.
Think of a brochure and a flyer as two stages in the same marketing process. Let’s say you’ve generated interest in your product by spreading flyers at a trade show, emphasizing its great features in bullet points. Now, for those people who want to delve deeper and collect more details, you’d use a brochure to deliver them with the specific information they seek. Armed with the understanding from the brochure, they are more likely to take the desired action, whether making a purchase, scheduling a consultation, or whatever step is must to seal the deal.
What about booklets and pamphlets?
Brochures and Flyers are just a pair of the numerous printed formats that exist. The disparities between a brochure, a pamphlet, and a booklet are only occasionally recognized when you compare it with the concept of a widely understood flyer.
A brochure and pamphlet are the exact same. Some folks relate a pamphlet as a shorter version of a brochure, but it’s ordinary for these terms you can use interchangeably.
Also, a booklet is a small book similar to a full-sized book, a booklet is bound instead of folded. Typically, booklets are printed on higher-quality paper and have more durable binding. Despite the slightly higher printing costs they may entail, they are generally for conveying vital, long-lasting information.
Design for the size you want
Consider how you distribute your flyers or brochures from the start, as this will affect your budget. If you aim to send them in standard letter-size envelopes or larger manila envelopes, it defines the size you should select for your flyer or brochure, and you’ll need to budget for the envelopes accordingly.
Ask yourself if you’ll be:
- Sneak them under doors quietly.
- Attach them to community boards or poles with staples.
- Slip them under car windshields like a surprise.
- Stick them to walls with tape, catching people’s eyes.
- Hide them in bigger packages, revealing surprises.
- Send them through the mail, making them travel far.
- Give them out at events, sharing information with smiles.
Via final product visualization, you can quickly assess the effectiveness of your design. This is where mockups come in handy. You can have detailed mockups that show your design in real-world scenarios. However, to explain, even a basic mockup of how your design fits on the paper can be sufficient.
You can review your mockup to show areas where you must fine-tune your design. For instance, a font that’s easy to read on a large flyer is challenging to interpret on a small pamphlet. Similarly, a colour palette that performs well up close might lack the necessary contrast to be visible from a distance, making it unsuitable for a flyer posted on a bulletin board. Your message also plays a key role in steering your design choices; a flyer advertising a going-out-of-business sale should feature more multicoloured or urgent colours than an ETF’s prospectus brochure.
Unique Print Materials and Sizes
Just because flyers and brochures typically come in standard sizes doesn’t mean you have to stick to the standard.
To give it out like a bookmark between the pages of your latest novel, you may need a tall, narrow brochure because you plan. Alternatively, you might prefer a dainty flyer elegantly rolled up, resembling a tiny scroll nestled in a teacup. It could be that you’re looking for a somewhat unconventional material compared to the usual paper options.
Opt for a waterproof brochure to showcase the amazing marine life guests might encounter during a whale-watching expedition. Alternatively, create a flyer highlighting special drink offers for a vibrant club night, and consider making it glow under black lights for added excitement.
Creating something unique might incur a slightly higher cost, but investing in the perfect print product for your brand can pay off, especially when your brand demands it. At times, keeping it simple is the way to go, especially when you’re attaching garage sale flyers all over town and intend to remove them within 72 hours.
When designing something with a more helpful impact and a longer lifespan, the size and material you select become just as crucial for your brand identity as your font and colour palette choice.
When you decide to go outside the box, remember to budget for everything that comes with turning from the standard, such as custom-made envelopes to adjust your larger-than-average or uniquely shaped flyer.
Also, it’s crucial to collaborate with a designer who has experience crafting unique designs. Consider the shape and size of your finishing product from the very initial sketch. Attempting to resize or reformat a design intended initially for standard-sized pages or brochures can result in a final product that feels awkward or fails to achieve the desired effect because the proportions and size hierarchy are thrown off.
Always Consider Size and Shape During Design
When designing a flyer, brochure, or any printed material, it’s crucial to keep the end product’s actual size and shape in mind at every stage of your design journey. A design that works perfectly for a letter-sized brochure may not be suitable for a tabloid-sized one. Likewise, a design that dazzles in a tri-fold format might not convey well in an accordion-fold style.
Even before you start the design process, defining what you’re creating, its dimensions, and how it will be folded is essential. But even before making those determinations, it’s wise to consider where this item fits your overall marketing strategy. This will direct you toward selecting the size, material, and shape that best complements your design and actually signifies your message.
So now you are aware of the size needs on brochure or flyer design. So you can have our services for your branding.
Not only this, our “Logo Designs Company” does everything regarding branding, like we can craft custom printed banners as per your marketing needs and even offer logo design services in UK.
Also Read: Benefits of Sales Brochure Design
